


The Lois Lane Dilemma

by Fanforthefics (StormDancer)



Series: Hockey Tumblr Oneshots [37]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Journalism, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Developing Relationship, Identity Porn, M/M, Supervillains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-12-28 01:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21128864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormDancer/pseuds/Fanforthefics
Summary: After the fifth time the Captain, supervillain extraordinaire, rescues him, Tyson is starting to see a pattern.





	The Lois Lane Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompts: 'Everyone thinks I should stay away from you because you’re dangerous' + 'We’re dating and I didn’t know you were a mobster/biker'. Then gone sideways because I can't resist a superhero AU. 
> 
> Not beta-ed, barely proofed. Enjoy!

“Okay, this is just ridiculous,” Tyson says. He doesn’t bother trying the ropes again, because for better or worse (probably worse) this is not the first time he’s been in this position and he knows it doesn’t work. “First off, aren’t the heroes supposed to be doing the rescuing, not villains?” 

“Villainy is in the eye of the beholder,” the Captain says, sounding sort of prissy behind his maroon mask. He’s also just finishing punching out the last of the goons who’s kidnapped Tyson, though, so he’s not going to say anything about the tone. Take that, everyone who says he can’t be a bigger person. Then the Captain pauses in front of the chair, looking down at Tyson–he’s floating, too, a few inches above the ground, so he’s even taller. “Also, beggars can’t be choosers. Would you like me to leave and wait for one of your heroes to come get you?” 

“You wouldn’t,” Tyson tells him, with a fair degree of confidence, because, “I think after the fifth capture, we have a bond.” 

“The bond of your recklessness,” the Captain tells him, but he lands and yanks on the ropes. Under his inhumanly strong hands, they snap. Tyson thinks nothing about that at all, because the Captain is a villain and Tyson isn’t into that. “You really need to stop.” 

“Okay, but, counterpoint–-this means that I’m right and there is a story here.” Tyson tries to stand up, but he’s been sitting for long enough that his legs are sort of asleep; he stumbles. Before he can fall, though, the Captain’s big hands are on his forearms, keeping him standing. He’s wearing gloves and everything, but Tyson still thinks he can feel the warmth of him through gloves and Tyson’s shirt. No one really knows how the Captain gets his powers; maybe he is giving off more heat. That could be a story too. 

The Captain’s looking down at him now, and he’s not even floating, he’s just taller than Tyson. Or, Tyson thinks he’s looking at Tyson; he can’t see anything behind that full face mask. But he imagines the Captain looking down at him. 

Tyson swallows. Villain. “Care to comment?” he asks, smiling, and the Captain snorts. 

“Yes. Nosy reporters should stay away from stories that will get them kidnapped,” he says, and Tyson rolls his eyes. 

“If a story might not get you kidnapped, what’s even the point?” he asks, and the Captain snorts. 

“You’re incorrigible.” 

“I prefer dogged.” Tyson looks at the Captain again. It’s so hard to see anything; he’s got a full body suit on and a cape, and it all disguises anything about him other than that general shape of his body and the fact that he’s ripped. Rumor is that if you see the Captain’s true face, then he carries you away to his fortress forever. Tyson’s kind of skeptical about that, because he’s run into the Captain a bunch and he’s not the type of villain going in for wholesale destruction. Just like, a spot of reorganization and destruction of property. “Why were you here?” 

The Captain pauses, which makes Tyson perk up, because that means there’s definitely something here. “I’ve been looking in on the School,” he admits, and then his hand closes harder on Tyson’s hand when he goes for his notebook. Like Tyson’s not going to remember this. “Off the record.” 

“Uh-huh. So off the record, you’ll be around for an assist on this story, if I need it?” 

The Captain shakes his head, but Tyson knows that sort of head shake. It usually comes before he’s annoyed a quote out of someone. “I’m a villain, remember? You should call up one of your hero pals.” 

“I’m not pals with them,” Tyson retorts, even though like, fine, Pride’s in his phone as P-Dawg and he’s got a bunch of the rest of that team in his contacts too. “I’m a supers reporter, I have a lot of contacts.” 

The Captain’s face does a thing. “I’m telling Pride that, the next time we’re up against each other,” he warns, and Tyson probably makes a face, because Pride lives up to his name sometimes, and that would take a while to iron out. “Yeah, thought so.” 

“Whatever, I’m friends with him. Doesn’t mean I can’t use you too.” The Captain doesn’t say anything, but somehow his body just expresses the judgment. “As a source, I mean!” Tyson goes on. “Not like, as anything else, because obviously I don’t want to be carried away to your secret fortress for the rest of my life. I’d be really bad at being incarcerated, I got thrown into jail once for civil disobedience and it was a time, let me tell you, I was there for like three hours before dad bailed me out and I almost got shivved because I wouldn’t shut up. You’d probably end up releasing me out of sheer annoyance, actually, and–” 

“Tyson,” the Captain interrupts, but it sounds almost like he’s laughing. Tyson shuts up. “I’m not–carrying you away, or anything.” 

“I see, I’m not good enough to carry away?” Tyson demands. 

The Captain’s hand is somehow gentle on his arm. “That’s not the problem at all,” he says, then shakes his head again, this time like he’s clearing it. “Go home, Tyson. Unless getting kidnapped was on your schedule for today.” 

“Oh, shit.” Tyson digs for his phone, but the School wasn’t that bad; they did take his phone. The Captain sighs, then pulls it out of…somewhere in his suit and hands it over. Not even broken, natch. But when he sees the time, he does swear. He’s not late, he just– “Yeah, I should go, I’ve got, um. A date.” It feels sort of like he shouldn’t say it to the Captain, but also, villain. 

“You should,” the Captain agrees, and lets go of Tyson, then steps back. 

“But seriously, will you be–” Tyson doesn’t get to finish the sentence, before the Captain’s in the air, up up and away. “That doesn’t get you out of conversations!” Tyson yells after him, but he has no way of knowing if the Captain’s heard him. 

* * *

Tyson is still like fifteen minutes late to Gabe’s, but in his defense, the Captain just left him alone in a School hideout when Tyson knows they’re up to something with the new developments on the West Side, so what was he supposed to do, not investigate? At least he texted Gabe, so he doesn’t look very annoyed when he opens the door. 

“I know, I’m sorry,” Tyson tells him, pushing past him and dropping his bag and then down to one knee to greet Zoey, who comes over wagging her tail and nosing at him. “I got caught up in a story.” 

“What a surprise,” Gabe retorts, and there’s a weird edge to his voice, so Tyson looks up at him. They’ve been going out for a couple months now and it’s getting to the point where Tyson can usually read him, but he can’t quite get this face. It’s all a bit hard; Gabe’s so hot that Tyson gets distracted by that, then by the fact that he actually got someone who looks like that to go out with Tyson, so like, it’s sometimes hard to learn his microexpressions. Tyson wants to, though. “Caught up by internet research?” His voice makes it clear he’s not hopeful. 

“It was only a little bit of capturing,” Tyson tells him, trying for his best innocent look, and gives Zoey one final pat on the head before standing up and stepping closer to Gabe. Gabe’s so warm, Tyson always just wants to sink into him. Both in the sex way and in the cuddling way. “Nothing major, and I’m fine!” 

“Tyson,” Gabe sighs, and Tyson shrugs. 

“I am fine, the Captain was there, and–” 

“That’s not better!” Gabe interrupts. He’d be more convincing if he wasn’t running his hands down Tyson’s arms, like he’s checking for any injuries or maybe angling for a pre-dinner appetizer of sorts. Tyson would take him up on that. “He’s a villain, Tyson.” 

“Okay, yes, but he’s not that bad.” 

“He blew up that warehouse on Eighth yesterday.” 

“And no one was hurt by that, was it?” Tyson argues. He’s not sure why he’s defending the Captain, really–he is a villain, there’s no arguing, he’d said it himself–but like, “He’s not the worst of them. He gave me the info I needed for that expose on the crooked alderman, and he’s rescued me like, half a dozen times.” 

“There was that big blow up with Pride and his guys last week.” 

“Eh, Pride’s kind of a dick sometimes, he probably deserved it,” Tyson counters. Which is not his best argument, to be fair, but like, it’s not untrue. He likes Pride and the rest of those guys, but they get too big for their britches sometimes. Anyway– “Are we going to argue about this, or are you going to feed me?” He asks, and Gabe snorts and shakes his head, then pulls Tyson in to kiss him hello. That is a much more satisfactory sort of greeting, Tyson thinks. 

They have a nice dinner–Tyson tells Gabe as much as he can about the story he’s working on, Gabe tells Tyson about his day working as an on call IT help, which Tyson still maintains is probably the most boring job in existence but Gabe seems happy in it so who’s he to say anything? He does get that most people don’t want to break into buildings for work. 

Then they clean up from dinner together, and that’s nice too–settling into the routine. Tyson _likes _Gabe, way more than he’s pretty sure neither of them thought would happen after their first disastrous meeting in a bar where Tyson spilled a drink on him, insulted his head, then told him his superpower was his hair all in the space of five minutes. He’s still not entirely sure what led from that to Gabe asking him out, but gift horses and mouths, and all that. 

“Hey,” Tyson asks, when they’re settling in front of the TV for the movie that Tyson anticipates them watching very little of, given how Gabe’s arranged them so Tyson’s tucked under his arm and how Gabe’s been watching Tyson all night. “You still okay to come to my office party next week?” 

“I already told you yes, as long as I’m not called in,” Gabe tells him, rolling his eyes. “You don’t have to ask every time.” 

“Your schedule might change!” Tyson protests. “I have to be sure before I tell anyone, they still think I made you up.” Gabe’s eyebrows raise. “They don’t believe I could land a hot tech guy. I told them that you’re not Mark Zuckerberg or anything and that my drink spilling skills are irresistible, but they think–” 

“Well I’m happy to prove them wrong,” Gabe tells him, then he’s kissing Tyson, and, well. He was right about how little of the movie they actually watch. 

Gabe’s always kind of an intense guy, but he’s even more intense that night, taking his time with all of Tyson like he is checking him for injuries, even though the School went with knock out gas and not force this time. But Tyson’s not going to say anything when it gets him some really great sex, although after, he manages to lift his head up from the pillow. 

“I really am okay, you know,” he tells Gabe. 

Gabe makes a face. “I know, I just wish…” 

Tyson takes a breath, because he’s run into this before. It’s been a dealbreaker before. “I’m not going to stop,” he says. “I–part of my job is being in places that might put me in danger, because stories are in dangerous places, and I’m not going change that. If you can’t live with that, I’ll–” 

“No,” Gabe cuts him off, fast enough that Tyson’s kind of pleased, to be honest. “No, I just–wish you’d be more careful, sometimes.” 

“I’m as careful as I can be.” 

“Not if you’re hanging around with the Captain,” Gabe says, and then when Tyson opens his mouth and he goes on, “I know you don’t think he’s as bad as other villains, but he’s still dangerous, Tys. People around him get hurt. And I don’t want you getting hurt.” 

It’s hard to say no to that, to Gabe’s face in the dark, so Tyson leans in and kisses him instead. “I don’t either,” Tyson tells him, because that at least is true. “I’ll try my best.” 

Gabe clearly notices that it’s no sort of promise, but he also doesn’t ask for anything more, which is–well, it makes Tyson actually hopeful about where this is going. 

* * *

“You’re in early,” Tyson tells Auston, when he gets into the bullpen and Auston’s already at his desk, typing. “Big fashion news hitting the wires?” 

Auston snorts, but he accepts the coffee Tyson hands him. “I’ve got a story,” he says, and doesn’t elaborate because Auston doesn’t. “Why are you in early?” 

“I’ve got a story,” Tyson replies, trying to close out his vowels to mock Auston’s accent. “Yes, we’re reporters, I’ve heard that’s what happens.” 

“I heard you had another close shave,” Mo says, leaning over the edge of Auston’s cubicle. Tyson hands him his coffee too–Mo being there early isn’t unusual, so that’s not worth comment. Or at least, that’s been Tyson’s impression from the few months he’s been at this paper, instead of his old one. “The Captain, was it?” 

“Again, Tyson?” Auston asks, with a lot more world-weariness than some kid only in his first few years at the paper should have. Tyson is older than him, Auston should not be allowed to sigh at him like that. 

“No, it was the School, the Captain got me out of it,” Tyson retorts. “And how’d you hear about that, anyway?” 

“I don’t reveal my sources,” Mo says, because he’s a jerk. “Everything okay?” 

“Yeah it was fine.” Mo, because he gets what reporters are like and specifically someone with Tyson’s job is like, doesn’t press on it, which Tyson’s glad for. Auston’s still watching him with narrowed eyes. 

“Why the Captain?” he asks. It’s got the edge to it that means he cares deeply about the answer despite how casual he sounds. “Don’t you have Pride on speed dial?” 

“They took my phone, I wasn’t exactly sending up an SOS,” Tyson retorts. “Also, the Captain was there, what was I supposed to do, call in Pride so they could duke it out instead of dealing with the School, who’s actually the problem here?” 

“Do you know that?” Auston asks. He doesn’t look like he’s convinced about Tyson’s logic, but he doesn’t need to be. He’s not Tyson’s keeper. “How do you know the Captain didn’t arrange everything to frame the School?” 

“A, because I’m a good reporter and everything on the School checks out, and B, because why would he do that? That’s a lot of work to go through to what, rescue me?” 

“Because he’s clearly got some sort of fixation with you!” Auston snaps, and Tyson raises his eyebrows. “It can’t be a coincidence that he’s always around when you’re in danger. He has to be up to something.” 

“Maybe he enjoys my company, have you thought of that?” 

“It’s not a good thing when a villain enjoys your company,” Auston argues, and Tyson rolls his eyes again. 

“Yes, I get it. But don’t worry, I won’t be seduced away. My boyfriend’s already committed for the party and I think he’d be annoyed if someone else stole me away before then.” 

Like Tyson had expected, ‘boyfriend’ gets the attention not just of Auston and Mo, but also the rest of the bullpen. He’s a little offended how many of them seemed to seriously believe he’d made Gabe up, but also, if it was anyone else he’d probably think the same. It does feel…improbable, that someone like Gabe would like him, and also put up with his tendency to get into danger if danger is anywhere nearby. But he fields questions about Gabe until Babs comes in to yell at them all to get back to work, then heads to his desk to dig in. 

Mo follows him over. “Auston’s not wrong, you know,” he says, quiet and less aggressive than Auston, but no less sure. “The Captain does seem to have some connection to you, and that’s not safe.” 

Tyson huffs out a breath. “I’m not an idiot, and I’ve been doing this for a lot longer than either of you, even if it wasn’t at the Leaf. I can take care of myself.” He thinks sometimes they forget that–that yes, Tyson can be kind of all over the place, but he is a good reporter and he’s managed to keep himself alive for almost three decades without them. Or, well. The first two credit probably goes to his parents, but at least one was on his own. 

“Just–make sure you keep the speed dial with Pride or the Rocket or someone on hand,” Mo says, and Tyson manages to keep a straight face. “Let heroes do a heroes job, eh?” 

“Yeah, sure,” Tyson agrees, which is at least enough to satisfy Mo. 

* * *

“It’s like they don’t think I can take care of myself,” he complains to Nate, when they go out for coffee a few days later. He has, maybe, noticed everyone in the bullpen watching him more than usual, and it hasn’t escaped his attention even a little that more people seem to want to go on coffee runs with him rather than letting him go alone. 

Nate opens his mouth. Tyson cuts him off. “Don’t say anything,” he warns. “I’m not twenty anymore.” 

“I was going to talk about last year’s birthday party debacle, actually,” Nate says, and Tyson kicks him in retaliation. “I mean. Personally, I’m okay with them keeping an eye on you.” 

“_Nate_.” 

“Not that you need it, but…” Nate makes a face, trailing off. “You are kind of like, a super trouble magnet?” 

“Because that’s my job.” 

“Sure, but the other super reporters in the city haven’t been rescued by a villain five times.” Tyson pauses, and Nate’s eyes narrow. “Tys–” 

“It was barely a rescue!” Tyson protests. “I just got into a little bit of trouble with those bikers on the lower west, and I think I saw him before I got out of there.” 

Nate rolls his eyes. “Okay, half a dozen rescues then. He is a villain, it’s weird, you’ve got to admit.” 

“I admit nothing. I am a steel trap. I definitely never say anything but what I mean to.” Nate’s laugh would be insulting if it wasn’t what Tyson was going for. 

“Okay, then.” Nate shrugs. “How’s Gabe?” he draws out the name, teasing. 

“He’s good. It’s good, I think?” Tyson adds the last bit, quieter. “I mean, it’s only been a couple months, maybe it’s too early to tell, but it feels like–like he gets it, or something? He just–I mean, I don’t think he likes that I get into trouble so often, but he hasn’t asked me to stop, and he believes in what I’m doing, the stories are right–he thinks something’s wrong at the top too–and it feels like he, I don’t know. Believes that I can do something about it?” Tyson’s red when he’s done, and not looking at Nate. He couldn’t admit this to anyone but Nate, but his best friend, and even that’s hard. “It all feels a little too good to be true, honestly.” 

“Yeah, I don’t know how you tricked him,” Nate agrees, but he kicks at Tyson’s shin until Tyson looks at him. “Look, when I met him, he definitely looked at you like all of that. And you do deserve it.” 

Tyson makes a face. It’s all getting very real here, which–there’s a reason he’s a reporter; he likes to see these things from the outside. “Anyway,” he says loudly, “Tell me the gossip I’ve missed. How many times has EJ almost been fired?” 

“Only three last week, he’s really falling down on the job,” Nate tells him, and fills him in on all the office gossip from Tyson’s old paper until Tyson gets an alert that some supers are going against each other uptown and he has to go. 

* * *

When he gets there, the fight’s already on its way to being over–-he can see Captain in the air, dodging Pride’s energy blasts and the Rocket’s speed punches. Tyson grabs his phone to get some pictures. 

“What happened?” he asks a police officer who’s corralling everyone away from the fight. “Do we know what the Captain did?” 

“Seems like he was after some supply in the COBRA labs,” The officer says, eyes on the fight. “That’s all I know. We’ve got press after.” 

Tyson hums. Press releases won’t tell him anything. 

He watches the fight as it goes. Super fights, especially with someone who’s pretty indestructible, like the Captain, always feel sort of like stage fights–Tyson knows there are real stakes, that if the Rocket or the Captain fell from the sky they’d really be hurt, that according to Pride his bolts can break someone’s ribs if he’s not careful, and the Captain’s punch has put a super in the hospital before, and obviously if the Captain’s taken out he’ll get sent to the Raft, but it’s somehow hard to take it seriously, at least when the Captain’s there. The Captain’s careful about collateral damage–he’s noticed that, even if no one else has–and it’s not like world destruction is at stake, like it would be with Dr. Destruction or Demolition Man or something. The sort of stuff the Captain does…he steals and destroys and holds the occasional person hostage, but it always tugs at Tyson’s reporter instincts. His villainy points somewhere, somewhere high that Tyson’s starting to see the shape of. 

He makes a note to look at COBRA, see what was at the lab that’s off the record, and it distracts him enough that he almost misses a rock, falling from a missed punch by the Captain that hit a building instead. He sees it too late to dodge, throws himself out of the way anyway–then he’s off his feet, whisked away fast enough that he barely breathe. 

“You know not to stand that close to a fight,” Rocket tells him, sounding exasperated. 

“And you know to keep a fight contained,” Tyson retorts, as Rocket sets him back on his feet. He eyes the dust on Rocket’s aerodynamic blue suit. “Unless the Captain’s giving you more trouble than normal?” 

“No comments until after the fight,” Rocket tells him, with a quick grin from the half of his face Tyson can see, but–to Tyson it looks like the fight’s mostly over. There must have been more noise from the rock falling than he thought, because he catches both Pride and the Captain looking at him–Pride’s got the tilt to his head that means he’s mad and ready to finish it, and the Captain’s as unreadable as usual in his full suit, but when Pride turns back to him, winds up, the Captain shoots straight up, fast and apparently unexpected if the way the Rocket swears means anything. 

“Shit,” he mutters, then takes off after him, sending Tyson stumbling backwards until he catches himself. 

Everything on the ground seems to be over, though, so he feels less bad going over to where Pride’s standing, a stark flash of desert reds and yellows against the city streets. 

“No comment, Tyson,” he snaps, then takes a breath. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” Tyson waves a hand. “So you don’t have any idea what the Captain took?”

“You’ll hear about that from the press like everyone else,” Pride tells him. Tyson wonders who pays for supers’ media training, sometimes. 

“Come on, P-Dawg. Give me something? Why would the Captain want something from COBRA? He doesn’t usually go in for high tech heists.” 

“We’ll find out,” Pride informs him, then shrugs. “That’s all I’ve got.” 

“Useless,” Tyson tells him, and Pride’s lips quirk, just a little. Tyson has a feeling, sometimes, that Pride is significantly less chill than he likes to pretend. 

Rocket lands with a thump. “Lost him,” he tells Pride, who makes a slight irritated face. “What’d you do to him, anyway?” he asks Tyson. “He was in the fight until he noticed you, then he was out. He usually puts on more of a show than that. This was barely any fun.” 

“Aren’t you supposed to be the experts in supervillains?” Tyson retorts. He doesn’t get it either, honestly. Maybe Pride and the Rocket were distracted and he saw an opportunity. 

“Captain’s fond of Tyson,” Pride says, and Rocket’s face lights up as Tyson glares at Pride. 

“It’s not–we’ve talked sometimes, you know I need to get both sides,” he tells Pride, who looks like he might know that but he does not respect it. “I’d chat with the School too, if they were willing to take my calls.” 

“Talking to the School probably means you have to be like, incorporated first,” Rocket points out, which is fair. “Really, though? You’ve been hanging out with the Captain? Don’t you like us anymore, Tyson?” 

“It’s not hanging out,” Tyson retorts. “Sometimes our paths cross.” 

“Well, next time they do, give us a call, eh?” Rocket suggests, with that easy grin again. “We could make sure that stops for you. Keeping the citizens safe, and all that.” 

“We will make sure it stops,” Pride corrects, fast enough that Tyson thinks he’s got more going on than he’s staying. “Come on, Rock. We need to tell Brick that we lost him.” 

“Yeah, you can tell him that,” Rocket informs Pride, who Tyson can tell is rolling his eyes. “See you later, Tyson.” He waves, then grabs Pride around the waist and takes off. Tyson watches them disappear into the air, then goes to ask around. 

* * *

“Are you home?” Gabe asks, or maybe demands. Tyson takes a second to finish reading the sentence on the screen, and in that time, “Tyson. Are you home?” 

“Yeah,” Tyson says. COBRA’s definitely up to weirder shit than their public profile might say. “Just doing some research, I’ve got a new angle–” 

“Let me in,” Gabe demands, and, okay. It’s early for Gabe to be off work, but like, it’s not like Tyson’s research is time sensitive. He gets up from his desk to go let Gabe in. 

“Early day–” Tyson starts, but he barely has time before Gabe’s pressing him against a wall and kissing him until his legs are in danger of giving out and the wall is really necessary. “Okay, wow, not that I’m complaining, but like, what brought this on? Horny day at work? Recovered a lot of porn for people?” 

“You almost–” Gabe looks up from Tyson. He looks a little–windswept, Tyson thinks; he must have rushed over here. But his expression is dark and intent on Tyson. “That was a close fucking call.” 

Tyson makes a face. “Was it on the news? Damn. No one’s going to let me live it down.” 

“You almost–and I was too far–fuck,” Gabe mutters, then he’s kissing Tyson again, bruisingly hard, and his hands are under Tyson’s thighs and he’s boosting him up like he doesn’t weigh anything. Tyson holds on and lets Gabe carry him away, until they get to his bedroom and Gabe lets him go to yank his shirt off. 

“If getting too close to a super fight makes this happen, maybe I should do it more often,” he jokes, and Gabe looks up from getting Tyson’s jeans off and _glares_. 

“No,” he bites off, fierce. “No, you shouldn’t ever-you’re just human, Tyson, fuck, but if something happened–” He cuts himself off by getting his mouth on Tyson’s dick, which Tyson approves of instead of telling Tyson he takes too many risks. 

Tyson runs his hand down Gabe’s back when they’re done, tracing the muscle there, the slash of a scar across his shoulder blade. “Okay?” he asks. “Out of your system?” 

Gabe keeps his forehead against Tyson’s chest. “It was a really close call, Tyson,” he says, quiet. “It was–it scared me, a lot, and I–and there was nothing I can do.” 

“Well, that’s what heroes are for, right?” Tyson points out. “Rocket got me, no problem.” 

“Rocket.” Gabe scoffs. “What if he hadn’t noticed?” 

“But he did, because he’s kind of a pretty good hero, if you hadn’t noticed. Or Pride would have blasted it, or I would have gotten out of the way, or something. Anyway, I’m fine, so what ifs are pointless.” 

“Yeah.” Gabe lifts his head to kiss Tyson, a little calmer this time. “Moral of your life, isn’t it?” 

“I say way too much stupid shit to deal with regrets,” Tyson agrees, and Gabe laughs and kisses him again. 

* * *

Gabe and Tyson get to the office party separately, because Tyson’s following up with a source about COBRA and Gabe’s coming from work, so Tyson has to deal with a lot of chirps about his imaginary boyfriend. He’s going to make Gabe pay for that, he thinks, plotting as Mitch gives him shit and Auston smiles and pretends like he isn’t brainstorming something to say. 

Then there’s a hand on Tyson’s waist. “Hey, babe,” Gabe says, and Tyson turns to grin at him. 

“You made it!” He gives Gabe a quick kiss hello, then turns back to Auston and Mitch. “See, I told you I didn’t make him up, this is Gabe, my boyfriend. Gabe, these are some of my co-workers I’ve told you about, Auston and Mitch.” 

“Hello,” Gabe says, and puts out his hand. He’s smiling, his other arm around Tyson’s, but there’s something–weird in it. “Nice to meet you.” 

“You too!” Mitch’s voice is a little high, but he shakes Gabe’s hand. “Right, Aus? It’s good to meet you. Gabe.” 

“Great,” Auston agrees. His handshake lingers in Gabe’s, the sort of long thing that Tyson associates with displays of dominance, which is…weird. Auston is definitely not like, interested in him or jealous of Gabe or anything. But this is. Weird. “We’ve heard plenty about you.” 

“You too.” 

“Um, right.” Tyson looks between them. “Do you guys know each other?” 

“In a manner of speaking,” Gabe says. He’s got a glint in his eyes Tyson associates with him digging his heels in on an argument. “Wouldn’t you say, Auston?” 

“What, did you do a bad job fixing Auston’s computer or something?” Tyson asks. It doesn’t take a reporter to see something going on. 

“I need to talk to Mo,” Auston says, fast, and grabs Mitch’s hand. “Come on, Mitch.” 

They go. Tyson watches them, then turns to Gabe, his eyebrows raised. Gabe shrugs. “I’ve run across them before, and it was a weird situation?” he offers, which is definitely not an explanation, but this is also not the time or the place. 

“Right,” Tyson draws out the word too. “Come on, let’s meet more people.” 

Gabe’s not weird with anyone else, really; he’s his usual handsome charming self, and Tyson’s pretty sure that basically everyone is in love with him, which like, Tyson can sympathize with. It gives Tyson enough confidence to leave him alone to go to the bathroom. 

When he gets back, though, Gabe’s deep in conversation with Auston and Mo, which is not ideal. Tyson’s totally going to intervene, and save Gabe from whatever’s happening–that is definitely what he plans to do–but then hears Auston hiss, 

“What are you doing with Tyson?” and like, he’s a reporter. He’s professionally nosy. He stops to eavesdrop. 

“Enjoying spending time with him, because he’s my boyfriend,” Gabe retorts. 

“If you’re up to something, you should know that Tyson’s become very important to us,” Mo says, which Tyson gets he should be flattered by, and he is–it’s nice to know the guys care even though he hasn’t been at the Leaf for that long–but it’s also, like, definitely said like a threat. And Nate gets to give Tyson’s boyfriend a shovel talk, his co-workers don’t? “We will protect him.” 

“Good, so will I.” Gabe’s grin shows all his teeth. 

“So that’s what happened last week, with the rock that almost fell on him?” Auston drawls, and Gabe’s fists clench. 

“It was Pride’s bolt that threw me there, wasn’t it?” he retorts, and Auston’s eyes narrow. “I think that’s on him.”

Tyson decides that he needs to step in before an actual fight breaks out. “Hey, guys,” he says, inserting himself next to Gabe. Two sets of blue eyes and one of brown turn to him, all wide like they didn’t expect him there. “Let’s not start any brawls in front of the canapes, eh? Newspaper’s not what it used to be, we can’t sacrifice any free food.” 

“Good idea, babe,” Gabe says, and leans down to kiss him. It feels like he’s proving a point, but also he’s a good kisser, so Tyson’s kind of conflicted. “You want another drink? Let’s get one.” He drags Tyson away. 

Gabe sticks close to Tyson for the rest of the night, and so Tyson steers away from the Auston-Mitch-Mo crowd, because he doesn’t know what’s going on. Instead, he maybes gets a little tipsy, and then lets Gabe drive them home. 

“So are we going to talk about what the hell was up with that?” he asks, when they get back to Gabe’s. Gabe makes a face, and walks past Tyson to the kitchen. Tyson follows him, scratching Zoey’s head as he goes. 

Gabe pours them both glasses of water. “Do we have to?” 

“Well, I’m curious, and I’ve been told that I’m pretty good at getting people to answer my questions, so. Your call, but I can be pretty annoying.” 

Gabe scowls at his glass. “I–I’ve run into them before, and it’s pretty clear that we have, um. Deep philosophical disagreements.” 

“Okay, now let’s try again, but this time with actual concrete details.” Tyson leans against the counter. “I know we haven’t been going out for that long and I don’t need you to spill everything, Gabe, but I like you. And if this is going somewhere, we should be honest.” 

“I–it is going somewhere, Tys, or, I want it to,” Gabe tells him, earnestly, which makes Tyson feel better. “I like you too, I do, but…” He makes another face. 

“You don’t have to tell me,” Tyson says, and Gabe looks up, eager. “But if you don’t, I’m going to start digging. It’s just, like, inevitable. Otherwise I’ll obsess. So really, its for the best for you to tell me now. How bad could it be?” 

“I can’t tell you everything,” Gabe says, slowly. Like he’s choosing his words. Which is usually what people do, when they’re telling half-truths. Tyson knew this was too good to be true. “Some of it has to do with–secrets that aren’t mine. But I’ve run across Auston when he was on a story before, and I didn’t like his biases in how he was approaching it.” 

“On the fashion beat,” Tyson asks, skeptical. Gabe shrugs. Tyson guesses that fashion can actually get pretty contentious, and he knows Gabe has some important clients, so they could have run across each other somewhere. And both of them would start fights over something like that. 

It’s definitely not all of it. Tyson’s not even a little fooled. But he’s also tipsy and tired and this night wasn’t what he wanted it to be, and he wants to go to bed. “Fine,” He says, and Gabe’s eyebrows go up in surprise. 

“Fine?” 

“I mean, it’s not fine because you’re still lying to me, but I”m tired,” Tyson tells him. “Let’s go to bed.” 

“It’s not–I’m not lying.” Gabe catches Tyson’s hand, tugs him closer. His expression is entreating. “I just–let me have some things for now, okay? I promise I’ll tell you, I just need a little time.” 

Tyson lets out a long breath. He gets it, he does. Past relationships have broken over his tendency to pry, to get to the bottom of everyone. I’m your girlfriend, I’m not a story, one ex had told him, and when he’d told Nate that, Nate had made the face that meant he supported Tyson implicitly but also he didn’t think she was necessarily wrong. 

He doesn’t want this thing with Gabe to break. “Fine,” he says again. “Yeah. Okay.” 

“Thank you.” Gabe’s thumb rubs against the back of Tyson’s hand, warm and comforting. “Bed?” 

“Yeah,” Tyson agrees. “Bed.” 

* * *

He barely has a second to finish his coffee the next day before Auston and Mo corner him. 

“How was your nights?” he asks, trying for flippant. Neither of them look put off. “Have fun at the party?” 

“You should stay away from–Gabe,” Auston tells him, without preamble. 

“Uh-huh. So you liked my boyfriend, is what I’m getting.” Tyson manages a grin. “Jealous?” 

“Tyson,” Mo says, with one of the exasperated sighs that Tyson gets too often, the ‘what are you doing Tyson that’s a stupid idea’. “We’re being serious. He’s not–” he cuts off. Tyson waits, but nothing comes. 

“He’s not what?” He demands. “Not in my league? I noticed, but we’re going with it. Not good at cleaning up after himself? I’m trying to train him, but that takes time. Not–” 

“He’s dangerous,” Auston cuts in. “He’s going to get you hurt.” 

“Okay, how?” Neither of them respond. Tyson snorts. “Look, I’m just saying, it’s not very convincing to say my boyfriend’s dangerous and not give a reason why. I like my verified sources.” 

“I–we–” Auston looks at Mo for help. 

“Did he say how he’s met us before?” Mo asks. 

“He said he’d run across Auston on a story before and you disagreed about your biases.” 

Auston snorts. “You could say that,” he mutters. 

“So you trusted that vague statement , but you won’t trust us?” Mo asks, gaze intent and earnest. 

Tyson’s email pings–he glances at it. It’s from one of the old lab techs at COBRA, who had agreed to talk to him. He’s been really cagy, which Tyson doesn’t blame him, because everything Tyson’s been getting to are circling around deep government and School connections, and Tyson gets not wanting to cross either of those. But this is a meet, now, and he needs that. 

“Look,” Tyson says, getting up. Neither Mo nor Auston move back to give him room. “I get you’re looking out for me, and that’s cool, I’m glad you like, care about me or whatever. But Gabe’s my boyfriend, and I trust him enough to take his word until you give me a good reason I shouldn’t. Now,” he says, closing his laptop and sticking it in his bag. “I’ve got to go see a source. Unless that’s too dangerous for me, too?” 

Mo’s mouth opens, but Auston elbows him, and he doesn’t say anything. They don’t stop Tyson from leaving, either. 

* * *

The meeting is–eyeopening. He really gets why the source was being so cagy about everything; he would be too, if the connections to the School ran that deep. Except of course, the source doesn’t have documentation. No proof, anywhere but the lab, to show that these ties go anywhere. 

Which is why, two days later, Tyson goes on the group press tour of the COBRA labs. It’s why he breaks off from it, when he sees his chance. 

It’s also why, some time after that, he wakes up on the top floor of a building with a sort of terrifyingly good view of the whole city from his high up, tied to a chair and with the tall, thin man that he recognizes as the Headmaster standing in front of him, clearly incorporated members of the school around him. 

“You,” the Headmaster tells Tyson, in a voice that’s surprisingly reedy, “Are becoming quite an annoyance.” 

“It’s a gift,” Tyson replies. He’s sort of expecting it to get a punch, or something, so he’s surprised when the Headmaster laughs. 

“I see why they all find you so delightful,” he says, sounding weirdly sincere about it. “I don’t suppose you’d consider becoming–” 

“Yeah, no. I like independent thought, thanks. And I wouldn’t want to burden you with all of this, I’d drive all of you insane in like, an instant, it wouldn’t be good–or maybe it would, I don’t–” 

“Yes, perhaps not the best idea,” the Headmaster agrees. Tyson thinks later, when he’s not freaking out, he might be offended. “A pity. We’ll have to dispose of you in some other way, then.” He gestures to one of the goons, and they start forward–then there’s a crash, and the glass of the windows behind Tyson splinters. 

“We wouldn’t recommend that,” says Rocket, then Pride’s leapt off of him to hit the ground, and it all explodes into chaos as the goons close in on the heroes.

“How did you get in?” the Headmaster screeches, as he retreats from the fight. Tyson wonders, in the hysterical part of his brain that isn’t working on the ropes tying his hands, whether it can be considered monologuing if the heroes aren’t the ones tied up. “The sensors are calibrated for your brainwaves! There was no way for you to enter–” 

“You only counted on the heroes,” comes another voice, and Tyson looks over in time to see one of the goons drop under the Captain’s punch. Tyson blinks. The Captain. And Pride and Rocket. All here. 

He scrambles at the ropes. He’s been practicing for this, he can–he’ll think about it later, everything else, but right now he needs to get out while no one’s watching him, and he does–the ropes come loose, and he staggers to his feet–just in time for a hand to close around his throat, and he’s pulled towards the window, until he’s teetering on the edge. 

“I would stop now,” the Headmaster says, and his voice echoes in everyone’s heads, out of the mouths of all of those incorporated. “If you don’t want your little friend here to have an… accident.” 

Everyone freezes. Pride’s hands are still flickering with energy. 

“Am I Toto in this situation?” Tyson wheezes out, around the Headmaster’s hand. 

“Tyson,” the Captain says, a warning and a plea in a tone Tyson knows, he thinks. Maybe. He’s standing a few feet away from the window, two goons around him frozen like the Headmaster’s command got them too. 

“You three will leave,” the Headmaster goes on, out of all of the incorporateds' mouths. “Then I will let Mr. Barrie here go.” 

“That’s not really good leverage if you’re going to throw him any–” 

“Let him go inside, Rocket,” the Headmaster corrects, with what feels like an eye roll. 

He’s lying, obviously. Tyson doesn’t have to be as good as he is at figuring out lies to know that. The supers leave and Tyson’s back to where he was, alone with the Headmaster. But–the Headmaster’s grip is tight around his neck, and Pride’s weighed down with goons and probably can’t get an angle without Tyson falling, and Rocket’s a whole room away. 

Tyson looks over, meets what he thinks is the Captain’s eyes. “And you thought I wasn’t good enough to carry away,” he gets out before the Headmaster cuts off his air again. He doesn’t know if the Captain gets it, but he can’t care. He brings his knee up, and the Headmaster is apparently still human male enough that getting him in the balls makes him groan and his grip loosen, and then–drop. 

Tyson falls. It feels like he falls forever, long enough to notice the wind rushing past him, the blur of the building next to him, the sky above him. To think about what a stupid plan this was and how he’s probably proving everyone who ever called him reckless right. To think that if he dies now they better find that evidence and finish his story. To think about Gabe, and the way he’d looked at the thought of anything happening to Tyson. 

Then–there are arms around him, under his back and knees, and he’s slowing down, not the hard crash that would kill him but a deceleration, and then he’s going up, up and up, and he wraps his arms around the Captain’s neck and lets his head drop against his chest in relief. 

They land on the roof of the building next to the COBRA labs, and the Captain’s barely put Tyson down before he’s grabbing him again, a hint of that strength in it. “That was the stupidest fucking thing I have ever seen, don’t you ever do that again,” he snaps, and Tyson would be angrier if the panic wasn’t very clear. If the Captain’s hands weren’t running over Tyson’s arms, his torso, checking for injuries. 

“The breaking into COBRA, or getting thrown out a window?” Tyson asks. 

“Either. Any. Fuck, Tyson. A few seconds more, and I couldn’t have–” the Captain shakes his head, then his hand’s on his mask and he’s shoving it up halfway, enough that he can pull Tyson in and kiss him, deep and desperate and Tyson can feel his knees going weak. Like they always do, he thinks, that hysterical part coming back, when Gabe kisses him. 

It takes a long time for Gabe to let go. When he goes, Tyson can only see his jaw to his nose, but–well. 

“I’d say I shouldn’t do that because I have a boyfriend,” Tyson says, slowly. He can see Gabe’s mouth open, close, set. “But that’s not really an issue here, is it?” 

“Tyson–” 

it makes so much sense, is the thing. Gabe’s weird hours. How he always seemed to know when Tyson had close calls with the supers. The half truths. The way he touched Tyson, even, the controlled strength of it. All of it. That they’d said he was dangerous. 

“But how did Auston and Mitch and Mo know?” Tyson thinks out loud. Gabe doesn’t say anything, just stands there and waits, his mask half off, but it’s coming together, like a story when you finally find the piece that makes it all make sense. “Oh, of course. Your philosophical disagreements. Did you set them aside, this time?” 

“The School _took_ you,” Gabe growls. “It wasn’t like the other times, when you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They knew who you were. I took any help I’d get. Even your hero friends.” He sways forward, like he wants to touch Tyson again, but then he stops. “I’d do anything, to keep you safe.” 

Tyson doesn’t know what sort of noise he makes to that, but there definitely is one. He–fuck, he wants to believe it. He wants to, but Gabe–the Captain–is a villain. He might not always do things Tyson disagrees with, and he might have saved Tyson, but villains have schemes, its what they do, and Tyson always did think this was too good to be true. 

“Take me down, Gabe,” he tells him, which is about all he can imagine. “Unless you know how to get inside, and I’ll take an elevator. Or I’ll call–Mitch, I guess. He can get me–” 

“No, I’ll get you down,” Gabe says, and pulls down his mask, so all of him is subsumed by the Captain again. “Hold on.” He picks Tyson up again, bridal style–Tyson’s seen Rocket carry Pride–Mitch carry Auston–next to him and piggy back, so he knows that’s not the only way, but whatever–and then they’re in the air again. Tyson lets his head drop onto Gabe’s chest, the spandex cool beneath his cheek. He wishes he had been able to see Gabe’s face, up there. He’d have a better handle on if he was lying. 

They’ve barely landed when Mitch alights next to Tyson, and Auston comes jogging out of the building. “Tyson!” Mitch yells, a little too loud for how close he ended up being. “Are you okay? I couldn’t get out, and I saw the Captain was going, but–” 

“I’m fine,” Tyson says. He looks over at Gabe, but Gabe’s silent, his arms cross over his chest. “I–there are documents, in the lab, they’re why I was there. They should prove something’s going on.” 

“We’ll get them,” Auston says, simple. Tyson can’t help it; he looks at Gabe too. He trusts Auston and Mitch, but Gabe–Gabe believes Tyson, when he says he thinks something weird is going on. Gabe had been going against COBRA before Tyson had. Gabe had lied. 

“Okay, then. I’m going home.” 

“We’ll come with–” Mitch starts, but Tyson cuts him off. 

“No. I’m going alone.” All three supers look unhappy about that, and Tyson laughs, dry. “Come on, what are the chances I get attacked again? I’m going.” 

He glances behind him, at the end of the block. It looks like Auston had been ready to follow, but Gabe had gotten in between them. Tyson doesn’t know what that means. 

* * *

He ends up at Nate’s. “You aren’t a secretly a super, are you?” he asks, when Nate opens the door. 

Nate’s brow furrows. “No?” His gaze flicks over Tyson. Tyson doesn’t know what he looks like; he hadn’t gone home first. Gabe might go there. Gabe’s been there too often. “Tyson, what happened?” 

“Ice cream first,” he decides, and goes in. 

He ends up telling Nate everything–anyone who knows him knows he tells Nate everything, and Tyson trusts Nate more than anyone. Nate’s jaw drops more and more as the story goes on. 

“And you’re okay?” he asks, when Tyson’s finished. Tyson gives him a look over a spoonful of ice cream. “I mean, physically.” 

“Yeah. A little sore, but not too bad.” 

“Good.” Nate runs a hand over his hair. “And–everything else?” 

“I don’t know.” Tyson eats more ice cream. He knows that. “I–just–he lied, Nate. A lot.” Nate makes a noise. “What?” 

“Just. He didn’t tell you the truth, but he didn’t really lie.” 

“Seriously? Whose side are you on?” 

Nate hold sup his hands. “Your side, always, you know that, T-Bear. But, I mean.” Nate bites at his lip, then goes on, “You were so happy, with him.” 

“I know.” Tyson does. That’s the problem. “But what if it was, like–he asked me out, after I was an idiot in front of him. He asked me out, and then this happened, and he always felt like he was perfect, like it was too good to be true, so–what if it was? What if he knew who I was, and just–maneuvered all of this, for some scheme?” 

“No one’s that good an actor,” Nate says, and Tyson scoffs. “No, I’m–like, I get it, and he’s a villain, but–god, Tys. The way he looks at you. And,” he goes on, more practically, “What even would the scheme be?” 

“I don’t know, to get to Auston?” 

“It seems like he could do that anyway?” Nate points out. 

“Maybe I was doing a story, or–I don’t know! He’s a villain, the whole point is I don’t know his plots!” Tyson stabs his spoon into the ice cream again. “Everyone said he was dangerous, and this is why. Maybe it would be smarter to stay away from him. What’s the mortality rate on villain’s boyfriends? It can’t be good.” 

“As someone who likes having you around, your death risk seems a lot higher when he’s not around than when he is,” Nate says, and Tyson sighs. He’s not wrong. 

* * *

When Tyson gets home, there’s an envelop in his mailbox, with a flash drive on it. _These are the originals_, the note says, _P & R gave copies to the police, but I made sure you got these back. It’s your story. _

It’s unsigned, but it’s not like Tyson doesn’t know Gabe’s handwriting. 

* * *

He calls in sick the next day. His capture and rescue, and the subsequent takedown of the Headmaster has been on plenty of news channels–everyone loves a good hero/villain team up–so no one questions it. He sort of expects someone to come over, whether Auston and Mitch or Gabe, but no one does. 

It means that the next day, he drops a stack of papers on Babs’ desk, first thing. 

“What’s this?” Babs demands. 

“It’s my story,” Tyson says. “The School’s been working with COBRA, and its government funded. All my sources are there.” Tyson still doesn’t know him that well, hasn’t worked for him that long, but he’s a long-time editor. He doesn’t need much explanation when he’s got a story like that. He reaches for the phone. 

Tyson goes out of the editor’s office, back to his desk. He barely sits down when Auston and Mo appear, like out of the woodwork. 

“Tyson–” Mo starts. Tyson shakes his head. 

“No, I–like, I get it, secret identities, and all that. I mean, it’s shitty you lied to me, but there’s no reason why you wouldn’t. We’re cool.” They are, he thinks. It’s easier with them, maybe, because they’re heroes, so the morality is easier, but also…they were friends, in the suit and out of it, but it’s not the same.

Mo pats Tyson’s shoulder, and heads back to his desk. Auston lingers. 

“For what it’s worth,” he says, looking like saying the words pains him to his very soul. “He came to us, when he knew you’d been captured, and he was freaking out, a lot. He’s still a villain, and all, but, like. He wouldn’t have done all that if he didn’t care.” 

But how much? And why? Or is he just a really good actor? 

“Thanks, Auston,” is what Tyson says, though, and gets back to work. 

* * *

In the end, Tyson’s curiosity gets the better of him. He can’t not know something. So he ends up on Gabe’s doorstep, takes a deep breath, and knocks. 

He can hear Zoey’s barking, then the door opens, and Gabe’s there. “Tyson.” 

He sounds surprised. He looks surprised. He looks the same as he did a week ago, before Tyson knew his secret. 

“Would you ever have told me?” Tyson asks, and steps past him, into the house. He kneels down to greet Zoey. She doesn’t seem to have held a grudge against his long absence. 

“Yes,” Gabe answers, too quickly for him not to have thought of it. Tyson looks up at him, over Zoey’s head. He’s looking down at Tyson like he’s drinking in the sight of him. Then his lips twist, wryly. “After Pride made that scene, I didn’t have a choice. You wouldn’t have let that go forever.” 

“That’s not what I meant.” 

“I know. The answer’s still yes.” Gabe doesn’t hesitate again. “I would have, I wouldn’t have kept something that important a secret forever. I just–I didn’t know how you’d react, and I didn’t want to lose you. Maybe I should have told you already, I don’t know, I didn’t…” 

Tyson nods. “Why’d you ask me out?” he asks, checking off questions in his mental notepad. 

“What?” 

“Why did you ask me out? I made a fool of myself, you still asked for my number. Why?” 

“Because you were cute, and funny, and sharp, and laughed at yourself, and I liked you and wanted to get to know you.” Gabe looks confused. “Why else do people ask other people out?” 

“Because they’re part of a scheme.” 

“No!” Gabe’s fierce in that word, and something in Tyson calms. “No, Tyson, never–I didn’t even know who you were until that first date, I had no idea you knew any other supers, I swear. And by then I was too far in already.” 

Tyson stands up. “So you saving me all the time, that was–” 

“That was _necessary_,” Gabe growls a little, and his jaw sets stubbornly. “You’re–you are terrifying, do you know that? The lengths you’ll go to for a story–they scare me, so much, because you’re human and it’d take so little to–” Gabe shakes his head, shudders a little. “What you do is amazing and needed and I’m not going to stop you from taking those risks, but I’m going to keep you safe while you take them.” 

Tyson blinks. That’s–he hadn’t known, really, how much he wanted to hear that. How much it meant, to have someone not try to change him. Not ask him to be someone he’s not for their own peace of mind. 

He looks at Gabe, and he can’t see a lie in his face. 

“You don’t lie to me anymore,” Tyson says, firmly. “That’s non-negotiable. And you don’t interfere in any of my stories.” 

“I’m going to keep saving you. As long as you keep jumping out of skyscrapers.” 

“I didn’t _jump_,” Tyson protests, but he takes a step closer to Gabe, wraps his arms around his neck. “And–I reserve the right to turn on you if you go full dark and start doing things that cross the line.” 

Gabe looks down at him, and maybe Tyson gets it, a little, how Nate says Gabe looks at him. “I hope you do,” he says, solemnly, which is just–Tyson has to kiss him. Gabe wraps an arm around his waist and kisses him back, and now that Tyson knows what to look for he can feel the thrill of it, that Gabe could crush him so easily and touches him so carefully. 

He pulls away from Gabe to catch his breath, glances down–and his breath catches for another reason. They’re floating a few inches off the ground. 

“Oh,” Tyson says, and things start to come together. “I didn’t even think of the possibilities here. This is going to be fun.” 

Gabe laughs, and kisses him again, their feet never touching the floor. 

* * *

“Okay, so, this?” Tyson gestures around, mainly to himself, but also to his house. “I’m designating this neutral ground.” The four supers sitting in his living room don’t look happy about it, but none of them say anything. Nate, who’s been brought in to meet them and also because he wanted to watch, looks very amused. “No hero/villain things here.” 

“What if the Headmaster escapes and attacks you here?” Mitch asks, and Tyson rolls his eyes. 

“Okay, no hero/villain things here unless necessary to protect someone’s safety.” 

“What if he attacks someone here, because he’s a villain?” Auston asks, jerking his chin at Gabe. Gabe grins back, more baring his teeth than anything else. 

“He’s not going to do that, because he knows the consequences,” Tyson informs Auston. “We agreed? Yes?” 

Four muttered yeses. “Great. Now.” Tyson drops a newspaper on the table. His byline is under the front page headline, big letters and a splashy photo cover. He’s already got invitations from three TV news shows to talk about it. The governor called him. He’s kind of freaking out, but also, he can’t stop thinking about it. “We are going to get drunk and celebrate this, right? All agreed?” 

That gets five much more enthusiastic yeses, and Tyson heads to the kitchen for alcohol. He’s getting the glasses when arms wrap around him from behind, and Gabe’s chin hooks over his shoulder. 

“I’m so proud of you for that,” he says into Tyson’s ear. He’s so warm, Tyson had been right about the cuddling. “Have I said that?” 

“Yeah. Plenty. And showed it. But you could do all that again, keep telling me how great I am,” Tyson says, and turns in his arms. He can’t quite look at Gabe’s beam, but it’s–fuck. It’s a lot. 

“Villainy’s in the eye of the beholder,” Gabe says, in his earnest ‘I’m not a villain I’m doing Good’ Captain voice, “But so is heroism. And that, there?” He gestures, to where the paper is. “That’s being a hero, Tyson.” 

Tyson drops his head into Gabe’s shoulder. “I was wrong, don’t say any more stuff like that, it’s way too corny I can’t take it,” he mutters, and Gabe chuckles into Tyson’s hair. 

“Are we going to get this celebration on?” Mo calls from the other room. 

“Yeah! If I can’t kick Gabe’s ass, I want to kick it in Taboo,” Mitch agrees, and Tyson lifts his head to laugh at Gabe’s face. 

“They’re your coworkers,” Gabe says, laughing back at Tyson. “I’d kick them out and skip right to us celebrating if I could.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Tyson kisses him, quickly, then detangles himself from Gabe. “You’re a big scary villain, I know. Now let’s go kick some Taboo ass.” 

(They do, in fact, kick some Taboo ass). 

**Author's Note:**

> Liked it? Want to talk about it? Comment or come chat on tumblr at [ fanforthefics!](http://fanforthefics.tumblr.com/)


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